Cayman’s Women’s U-17 footballers ready for Concacaf Qualifiers

Cayman’s Women’s Under-17 National Team kicks off world cup qualifying later this month in the Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Qualifiers.

Cayman was drawn into Group C along with Guatemala, Antigua & Barbuda, Haiti and St. Lucia, with all four group matches scheduled to be played at FFK Stadium in Willemstad, Curaçao, between Sunday, Jan. 25 and Monday, 2 Feb.

“I’m really excited for this tournament, I think we’re doing to do great,” said defender Tessa Clark, who made her women’s senior team debut in November versus Bermuda. “I think we have to work as a team and play to our advantages. For us, like we’ve said, all of us have been playing with each other for years and we have really good team chemistry.”

Cayman’s schedule is:

• Guatemala v. Cayman Islands | 3 p.m. | Sunday, 25 Jan.

• Antigua & Barbuda v. Cayman Islands | 6 p.m. | Thursday, 29 Jan.

• Cayman Islands vs. Haiti | 6 p.m. | Saturday, 31 Jan.

• Cayman Islands vs. St. Lucia | 3 p.m. | Monday, 2 Feb.

“I feel like we have a really good opportunity in that we can show what we’ve been training for,” said forward Jada Dixon-Lam, who also made her senior national team debut in November.

Twenty-one players have been selected to represent Cayman at the tournament, including:

Bella Persaud

Sashka Parker

Imogen Smailes

Alaisha Williams

Renee Wambugu

Hayleigh Solomon

Tessa Clark

Casey Coles

Reese Bateson

Cosabella Windsor

Jada Dixon-Lam

Olivia Ridley

Marley Rando

Lena Price

Stephanie Richards

Yasmin Elliot

Abigail Proud

Matilda Lomas

Kezia Parchmont

Shardaye Powell

Clara De Quintal

“Many of the players on the team already have senior caps,” head coach Michael Johnson said. “It’s massive for us as a small nation. Now they get to play with their age group, which is always better.”

Cayman enters the tournament ranked No. 18 in the most recent Concacaf Women’s Under-17 Ranking. Haiti is the highest-ranked Group C team at No. 7, while Guatemala enters the tournament ranked 16th, followed by 29th-ranked St. Lucia and 30th-ranked Antigua & Barbuda.

The tournament serves as the opening phase of Concacaf qualifying for the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Round One features multiple host venues across the region, with teams competing in single round-robin group play. Group winners, along with the best-performing runners-up, will advance to the Final Round.